1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an illuminated ski pole disc for use on a ski pole that functions to provide snow resistance when a skier thrusts the pole into the snow. The illuminated ski pole disc may alternatively or also emit sound, form or imprint an information-imparting image in the snow, and/or have an information-imparting top surface. The invention also relates to methods of imparting information and advertising.
2. Related Art
Ski poles are used by snow skiers to help balance themselves as they ski over uneven terrain or around curves. A conventional ski pole has a bottom end and a top end having a handle area by which the ski pole is manipulated by the user. A disc, sometimes referred to as a basket or wheel, is employed near the bottom end of the ski pole to provide snow resistance, and thus a measure of support, when the user thrusts the pole into snow.
Various geometrical designs have been employed for ski pole discs. The typical disc is circular, with a hub, an outer rim, and integral radial ribs or spokes. The hub may be plastic, metal, rubber, or the like and may be pivotally mounted to the ski pole. The rim may be plastic, metal, or similar materials, and the ribs are typically plastic or rubber. Examples of this general type of configuration are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,163,437 (Phillipson); U.S. Pat. No. 3,199,886 (Dover); U.S. Pat. No. 3,250,545 (Cameron); U.S. Pat. No. D169,644 (Weiss); and U.S. Pat. No. D196,847 (Miller). These conventional designs suffer from certain disadvantages. For example, they tend to be rather heavy and expensive to manufacture, provide a relatively small snow resistance, and are subject to getting caught on obstacles, such as branches and twigs. In addition, these discs are not useful for emitting light and/or sound or for forming information-imparting images in the snow. Nor do these discs provide an information-imparting top surface.
Other designs have sought to overcome the disadvantages discussed above by employing a largely solid disc, as shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,743,311 (Giambazi); U.S. Pat. No. D279,024 (Nordgren et al.); U.S. Pat. No. D302,288 (Filice); U.S. Pat. No. D315,591 (Ehlert); U.S. Pat. No. D316,132 (Ehlert); U.S. Pat. No. D343,217 (Jarvinen); and U.S. Pat. No. D351,887 (Zimmerman). The solid discs tend to provide greater snow resistance due in part to their shape and larger surface area. However, these discs also are not useful for emitting light and/or sound or for forming information-imparting images in the snow or imparting information to a viewer of a top surface of the disc.
Illumination has been incorporated into the shaft or handle of a ski pole, as shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,023,817 (Lah et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 4,066,889 (Hodgson); U.S. Pat. No. 4,129,311 (Hodgson); U.S. Pat. No. 4,206,445 (Steinhauer); U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,821 (Fierro); U.S. Pat. No. 5,149,489 (Crews); U.S. Pat. No. 5,271,640 (Potochick et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 6,152,491 (Queentry); and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 05-177027. U.S. Pat. No. 5,039,128 shows a light attached to a ski. However, because these configurations involve lights installed in the shaft or handle of the ski pole, they are not designed to be readily replaceable components for use with a skier's existing ski poles and thus, are not amenable to being marketed separately as an add-on feature for existing equipment. In addition, such configurations do not have lights that are triggered automatically, nor do they have multi-color lights that operate in predetermined and/or random sequences.